First, links to reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, Tass. and teleSUR; others from these organizations are accessible by clicking on their names below. — MCM
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Moscow steps up assault in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv calls for ‘ban’ on Russians, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters * Heavy Russian shelling reported along Donbas front * Ukraine says it repels assaults * Moscow claims some territorial gains * Ukrainian President calls for blanket ban on Russians | KYIV — Russia unleashed ground forces, air strikes and artillery as it pressed ahead with a grinding offensive designed to complete its capture of eastern Ukraine, but Kyiv said its troops were putting up fierce resistance and holding the line. Heavy fighting was reported today in frontline towns near the eastern city of Donetsk, where Ukrainian officials said Russian troops were launching waves of attacks as they tried to seize control of the industrialised . . . READ MORE . . .
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‘Explosions’ near Russia air base in Crimea, local officials say. From Agence France-Presse. Several explosions took place today near a Russian air base in Moscow-annexed Crimea, which is a popular tourist destination, local officials said. “I can confirm the fact of several explosions in the area of Novofyodorovka. The circumstances are being clarified,” Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to the Moscow-installed head of Crimea, said on messaging app Telegram.
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Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia edging closer to Russia referendum. From AFP. Moscow-backed authorities in the southeastern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia said Monday they were pressing ahead with plans to stage a referendum on joining Russia. “I signed a decree… to start working on the issue of organising a referendum on the reunification of the Zaporizhzhia region with the Russian Federation,” Yevgeny Balitsky, head of the Moscow-installed administration in the occupied part of the region of Zaporizhzhia, said on social media. . . . The eponymous Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — Europe’s largest — has in recent days been the scene of strikes that have damaged several structures, forcing the shutdown of . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia starts stripping jetliners for parts as sanctions bite. From Reuters. * This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine * The Moscow Times has its own version of this story | MOSCOW — Russian airlines, including state-controlled Aeroflot (AFLT.MM), are stripping jetliners to secure spare parts they can no longer buy abroad because of Western sanctions, four industry sources told Reuters. The steps are in line with advice Russia’s government provided in June for airlines to use some aircraft for parts to ensure the remainder of foreign-built planes can continue flying at least through . . . READ MORE . . .
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Chechen leader says Russia-allied forces take control of Knauf plant in Soledar. From Tass. MOSCOW — Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov has reported that [Russia-allied] troops took control of the Knauf plant in the town of Soledar. He took to his Telegram channel today to write that the Akhmat special operations group together with the LPR’s militia were successfully liberating territories. “The allied forces also took under control the premises of the . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russian disinformation spreading in new ways despite bans, by David Klepper | The Associated Press WASHINGTON — After Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the European Union moved to block RT and Sputnik, two of the Kremlin’s top channels for spreading propaganda and misinformation about the war. Nearly six months later, the number of sites pushing that same content has exploded as Russia found ways to evade the ban. They’ve rebranded their work to disguise it. They’ve shifted some propaganda duties to diplomats. . . . NewsGuard, a New York-based firm that studies and tracks online misinformation, . . . READ MORE . . .
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No military ship or plane can approach Ukrainian grain ships. From teleSUR. According to reports, Russia and Ukraine issued a document specifying that both countries agreed to restrict the rapprochement of any military ships and aircraft to Ukrainian grain shipments in a designated safe corridor. “The parties will not undertake any attacks against merchant vessels or other civilian vessels and port facilities engaged in this initiative,” said the document signed by both countries, referring to merchant vessels. “No military vessel, aircraft, or UAVs [drones] will close to within ten nautical miles of a merchant’s vessel transiting the Maritime Humanitarian Corridor, excluding territorial seas of Ukraine.” These policies are part of the agreement signed in Istanbul last July between . . . READ MORE . . .
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TO BE CONTINUED